Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
. 1985 Feb;19(2):177–185. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1985.tb02629.x

The effect of a week's beta-adrenoceptor antagonism on daytime heart-rates, subjective responses to exercise, and physical activity in normal subjects.

J M Patrick, H J Wharrad, C G Wilson, A T Birmingham
PMCID: PMC1463702  PMID: 2859043

Abstract

The effects on heart rate (HR) and physical activity of 1 week's treatment with three different beta-adrenoceptor antagonists (20 mg betaxolol (Lorex); 160 mg propranolol LA; or 100 mg atenolol daily) have been compared with placebo in a double-blind study of 12 normal men. On the fifth day of each treatment a body-borne tape-recorder was worn during waking hours for recording of ECG and footfall signals. Each record was calibrated in terms of the subject's response to laboratory ergometer exercise, and a computer analysis provided objective indices of physical activity. While on beta-adrenoceptor antagonists the subjects perceived standard exercise as significantly harder than on placebo and reported more side-effects (albeit mild and transient). Ambulatory monitoring of HR showed that subjects spent 13% of their waking day at heart rates below 50 beats min-1 while on propranolol, compared with 1% on placebo and 20% on atenolol and betaxolol. On these latter drugs, the group spent as much as 10% of their waking time with HR below 45 beats min-1. The lowest individual heart-rates recorded were below 35 beats min-1. Objective indices of physical activity, such as the duration of periods spent with heart rates above the HR found at 100 W in the ergometer test, showed no differences between the treatments. This negative finding was confirmed by pedometer step counts over the whole week.

Full text

PDF
177

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson S. D., Bye P. T., Perry C. P., Hamor G. P., Theobald G., Nyberg G. Limitation of work performance in normal adult males in the presence of beta-adrenergic blockade. Aust N Z J Med. 1979 Oct;9(5):515–520. doi: 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1979.tb03387.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Balnave K., Neill J. D., Russell C. J., Harron D. W., Leahey W. J., Wilson R., Shanks R. G. Observation on the efficacy and pharmacokinetics of betaxolol (SL 75212), a cardioselective beta-adrenoceptor blocking drug. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1981 Feb;11(2):171–180. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1981.tb01121.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bassey E. J., Patrick J. M., Irving J. M., Blecher A., Fentem P. H. An unsupervised "aerobics" physical training programme in middle-aged factory workers: feasibility, validation and response. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1983;52(1):120–125. doi: 10.1007/BF00429038. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Borg G. Perceived exertion as an indicator of somatic stress. Scand J Rehabil Med. 1970;2(2):92–98. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Breckenridge A. Jogger's blockade. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Feb 20;284(6315):532–533. doi: 10.1136/bmj.284.6315.532. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cadigan P. J., London D. R., Pentecost B. L., Bianchetti G., Gomeni R., Kilborn J. R., Morselli P. L. Cardiovascular effects of single oral doses of the new beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents betaxolol (SL 75212) in healthy volunteers. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1980 Jun;9(6):569–575. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1980.tb01082.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Davies C. T., Sargeant A. J. The effects of atropine and practolol on the perception of exertion during treadmill exercise. Ergonomics. 1979 Oct;22(10):1141–1146. doi: 10.1080/00140137908924688. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Epstein S., Robinson B. F., Kahler R. L., Braunwald E. Effects of beta-adrenergic blockade on the cardiac response to maximal and submaximal exercise in man. J Clin Invest. 1965 Nov;44(11):1745–1753. doi: 10.1172/JCI105282. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Giudicelli J. F., Chauvin M., Thuillez C., Richer C., Bianchetti G., Gomeni R., Morselli P. L. Beta-adrenoceptor blocking effects and pharmacokinetics of betaxolol (SL 75212) in man. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1980 Jul;10(1):41–49. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1980.tb00500.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Leahey W. J., Neill J. D., Varma M. P., Shanks R. G. Comparison of the activity and plasma levels of oxprenolol, slow release oxprenolol, long acting propranolol and sotalol. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1980 Jun;17(6):419–424. doi: 10.1007/BF00570158. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Leahey W. J., Neill J. D., Varma M. P., Shanks R. G. Comparison of the efficacy and pharmacokinetics of conventional propranolol and a long acting preparation of propranolol. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1980 Jan;9(1):33–40. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1980.tb04793.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lewis R. V., Jackson P. R., Ramsay L. E. Quantification of side-effects of beta-adrenoceptor blockers using visual analogue scales. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1984 Sep;18(3):325–330. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1984.tb02471.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. McAinsh J., Baber N. S., Smith R., Young J. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies with long-acting propranolol. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1978 Aug;6(2):115–121. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1978.tb00835.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pearson S. B., Banks D. C., Patrick J. M. The effect of beta-adrenoceptor blockade on factors affecting exercise tolerance in normal man. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1979 Aug;8(2):143–148. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1979.tb05812.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Serlin M. J., Orme M. L., MacIver M., Green G. J., Sibeon R. G., Breckenridge A. M. The pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of conventional and long-acting propranolol in patients with moderate hypertension. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1983 May;15(5):519–527. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1983.tb02085.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Simpson W. T. Nature and incidence of unwanted effects with atenolol. Postgrad Med J. 1977;53 (Suppl 3):162–167. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Smith R. S., Warren D. J. Effect of acute oral beta adrenergic blockade on muscle blood flow in man. Cardiovasc Res. 1982 Apr;16(4):205–208. doi: 10.1093/cvr/16.4.205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Snow D. H., Summers R. J. The actions of the beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents propranolol and metoprolol in the maximally exercised horse [proceedings]. J Physiol. 1977 Oct;271(2):39P–40P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Stone R. Proximal myopathy during beta-blockade. Br Med J. 1979 Dec 15;2(6204):1583–1583. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6204.1583. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Twentyman O. P., Disley A., Gribbin H. R., Alberti K. G., Tattersfield A. E. Effect of beta-adrenergic blockade on respiratory and metabolic responses to exercise. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1981 Oct;51(4):788–793. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1981.51.4.788. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wilcox R. G., Bennett T., Macdonald I. A., Herbert M., Skene A. M. The effects of acute or chronic ingestion of propranolol or metoprolol on the physiological responses to prolonged, submaximal exercise in hypertensive men. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1984 Mar;17(3):273–281. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1984.tb02342.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Zacharias F. J. Patient acceptability of propranolol and the occurence of side effects. Postgrad Med J. 1976;52 (Suppl 4):87–89. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES